1. Field Of The Invention
The present apparatus deals with the field of displaying flat samples of floor coverings such as carpeting. In order to facilitate examination of a multiplicity of carpeting designs, various carpet sample display devices have been designed to more efficiently illustrate the available patterns. In this field it is desirable to show a plurality of samples or swatches capable of ready display while not occupying a large area of display space.
The apparatus of the present invention displays these carpet samples hanging vertically in a fan-like or overlapping fashion while still allowing the samples to be swung out of the customer aisle and thus minimizing the area of the store taken up by the display rack.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Many displaying structures and fixtures have been shown in the prior art which require very complicated systems for gripping the carpet samples and securing these samples together in some type of orderly fashion for display. The present invention provides a simple system including a hanger which may be formed from a single extrusion which securely holds the carpet samples while at the same time maintaining them fixedly secured in an orderly fashion with respect to a support structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,454 shows a carpet sample display rack which utilizes the overlapping principle, however the display samples are mounted one upon another such that when a customer wishes to view a particular carpet sample, all samples overlapping thereabove must be lifted and held in the upright position during the period of viewing. These carpet samples are maintained in an overlapping fan-like configuration, however it is oriented in a vertical direction rather than in a horizontal direction. The applicant's design provides an independent source of support for each individual carpet sample. Another design is U.S. Pat. No. 1,021,358 which shows a swing-out display apparatus for use with rugs which clips the carpeting in a similar fashion to the present invention. However this design does not show the integral single extrusion which is simple and yet fully efficient as in the present design. The supporting sleeve of the present invention is integrally formed in one structure with the channels and tabs which grip the downwardly extending carpet sample.